Cable hook



0a. 21, 1947. LETURNER 2,429,433

CABLE HOOK Filed Aug. ,30. 1944 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor jean/f fir/79F Patented Oct. 21, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CABLE HOOK Leon E. Turner, Toms Creek,*Va.

Application August 30, 1944, seriafNofi'5'5L93'7 1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to improvements in cable hooks for attaching the electric cables of motoroperated mine cars to the trolley wires in the mines to close circuit through such cables to the motors.

As explanatory, the electric cables of such cars are attached to a motor-operated reel for unwinding as the cars travel away from the point of attachment of the cables to a trolley wire, and winding up as the cars return toward the point of attachment, The cables are usually attached to a trolley wire by a simple hook hung over the wire and which has many disadvantages, particularly the one explained in the following. It is the practice when the mine car is returning for'the 'motorman to grab the hook off the wire as the car runs under the point of attachment of the hook. In the event that the motorman misses the hook, the cable may foul and injure the motorman, become damaged, or pull the trolleywire down.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object of my invention to provide a hook which willremain securely connected to a trolley-wire if swung in one direction thereon, but will fall oif the wire when swung in the opposite direction past a vertical position, whereby when the mine car travels away from the hook, the latter will be swung so as to remain attached to the trolley wire under the drag of the cable thereon, and when the car returns past the hook, and said hook is swung in the opposite direction, the hook will become detached from the trolley wire and thereby prevent any damage from occurring, such as might result from failure of the motorman, or other operator of the car, to remove the hook manually.

Another object is to provide a hook for the purposes set forth in the foregoing, which is durable, easy to attach, safe to handle, adapted for replacement of worn parts, and which is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, illustrating my improved cable hook applied,

Figure 2 is a view in plan of the hook detached,

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation,

Figure '4 is a view in bottom plan,

Figure -5 is a viewin side elevation looking at the side of the hook'o'pposite to that shown in Figure -2,

Figure 6- is a view in longitudinal s'e'cti'on ta-ke'n on the line '66 ofFigure 2,

Figure 'Tis aview in'rear end elevation,

Figure 8 isa fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating how the hook interlocks with the trolley wire under swinging of the hook in one direction,

Figure 9-is a similar View showing how -the h'ook is released under "swingin'g of the same in the opposite direction.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the cable hook of my invention, designated as a imit by the numeral I, comprises an elongated handle 2 having atthe front end thereof a concentric, disc-like guard -3 preferably formed integrally therewith, both the han'dle 2 and guard 3 being formed of suitable insulation material. "The guard 3 and handle 2 are axially boredgas arc, to the rear end of said handle "which isopen, as indicated at 5.

A cylindrical stem 6 of conductive metal extends into the bore 4 from the front end of the handle 2, said stem having an enlarged, threaded, solid front end I threaded through the front end of the handle 2 to extend forwardly thereof. The remainder of the stem 6 clears the bore 4 and is provided with a bore 8 extending thereinto from the rear end of the stem. Set screws 9 in the stem 6 provide for clamping a cable in the bore 8.

An elongated head 10 of suitable conductive material extends forwardly from the stem 6 and which is detachably attached to said stem by means of a threaded rear end socket ll therein turned onto the front end of the stem 6. A lock washer I2 is provided on said end I of the stem 6 between the head In and the guard 3. By turning the handle 2 and guard 3 on the stem 6 in the proper direction, the head I0 may be securely fixed to the front end 1 of the stem 6 by jamming the lock washer l2 against the head In and clamping said washer between said head and the guard 3.

The head 10 is of hook form and is provided on what constitutes its bottom side, as shown in the drawings, with a transverse throat l3 extending diagonally across the bottom side of said head. The throat l3 opens into a notch H extending in said head from side to side thereof. On one side thereof, and forwardly of the notch I 4, a gradually deepening longitudinal groove l5 3 extends from the front end of the head to said notch I4 diagonally toward the other side of said head. On the other side of said head I0, and rearwardly of the notch I4, a similar groove I5 extends along said other side of the head I diagonally from the notch I l and gradually diminishes in depth from said notch. The grooves I5, I6 undercut the bottom side of the head I0 to form a pair of lips II, I8 at opposite sides of the head I0 and diagonally opposite corners of the throat I3.

Referring now to Figures 1, 8 and 9, the described hook I is connected to the insulated cable I9 of a mine car 20 which is shown as mounted on the usual tracks 2I, with the came attached to a cable-winding reel 22 on the car 20.

The end strands of the cable I9 are clamped in the bore 8 of the stem 6 by the screws 9, the insulated part of the cable extending out of thehan-' dle 2 by Way of the opening thereof. The head I0 is hooked over the usual trolley wire 23 by passing the throat I3 laterally over the wire from one side of the same and with the hook I held substantially upright. Under pull by the cable I9 on the handle 2, as when the car is traveling in one direction away from the hook I, said hook will be swung in one direction, counterclockwise, as viewed in Figures 1 and 8, so that the grooves I5, It will engage and straddle the wire 23 at the top and bottom of said wire, and

together with the lips I!, I8 interlock the head II] with said wire. When the pull of the cable I9 on the handle 2 is relieved, as when the car 29 returns past the hook I, said hook will swing in the opposite direction, clockwise, as viewed in Figures 1 and 9, past upright position, to swing the grooves I5, I6 away from the wire 23, and as soon as the said grooves are clear of said wire and the wire aligned transversely with the throat I3, the head I 0 will fall oil the wire 23. In this connection, it is to be noted that the notch I4 is provided with camming corners 24, laterally opposite the grooves I5, I5 tending to coact with the wire 23 under swinging of the hook I in the described opposite direction to force the head I0 laterally clear of said wire 23.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A hook to be hung on a trolley wire and for swinging movement thereon in opposite directions respectively comprising an elongated handle of insulation material, a hook-type head of conductive material having a notch therein for receiving said wire, means in said handle for securing electric line terminals therein in connection with said head, said head being provided with a pair of grooves therein upon opposite sides thereof and extending oppositely from saidnotch for straddling opposite sides of the wire and in terlocking therewith when the hook is swung in one direction, whereby the head is locked to the wire against displacement therefrom: as an incident to swinging of the same in said direction, and said notch being provided with camming corners coacting with the wire when the hook is swung in the opposite direction past perpendicular position relative to the wire to force the head off said wire laterally.

LEON E. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

